My voice shalt thou hear betimes, O, Lord: Ps. v. 3. early in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee.

16.

As for me I will sing of thy power, and Ps. lix. will praise thy mercy betimes in the morning.

O God, thou art my God, early will I seek Ps. lxiii. thee.

1.

lxxxviii

Unto thee have I cried, O Lord, and early Ps. in the morning shall my prayer come before 13. thee.

It is a good thing to give thanks unto Ps. xcii. thee, O Lord, and to tell of thy lovingkind

ness early in the morning.

1,2.

6.

My soul flieth unto the Lord before the Ps. cxxx. morning watch, I say, before the morning watch.

xxvi. 9.

With my soul have I desired thee, and Isaiah with my spirit will seek thee early in the morning.

19.

Arise, and in the beginning of the watches Lam. ii. pour out thine heart like water before the Lord.

Ecelus. xxxix. 5.

Wisd. xvi. 28.

Mark i.

35.

Mark xiii. 35.

Matt. xx.

1.

Luke i. 10.

Matt. xxvi. 1.

A wise man will give his heart early in the morning to the Lord that made him, and will pray before the most High.

That it might be known, we must prevent the sun to give thee thanks, O Lord, and at the day-spring to praise thee.

And in the morning, Jesus, rising up before day, went into a solitary place, and there prayed.

Watch ye therefore, for ye know not at what hour the Lord will come, whether in the morning, &c.

The kingdom of heaven is like unto a man, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard.

And the whole multitude of the people were praying without, at the time of incense: -(which was in the morning.)

When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus, to put him unto death.

Which the Fathers make one reason why Christians used to pray in the morning,

that as Christ's enemies did lose no time for their wicked designs against him; so Christ's servants should make like benefit of the same time to do him honour and service.

It was early in the morning when Jesus The four arose from the dead.

FROM THE FATHERS.

CONST. APOST. lib. 8. cap. 34.

Let every Christian begin his day's work with devotion; praying first, and giving thanks to God for his renewing of the morning light.

TERTUL. Apologet. cap. 2.

Of the ancient Christians, in the Emperor

Evangelists.

Plin. secund. 1.

Trajan's days, his vicegerent Pliny had no worse thing to say, than that their custom 10. ep. 97. was to meet together at the dawning of the day, and to worship Christ with hymns and prayers as a God.

S. CYPRIAN, de Orat. Dom. Besides the hours which were anciently used, the times of prayer and the mysteries of religion are now much increased. We are up betimes in the morning, that by our

In fine.

daily devotions the memory of our Lord's resurrection may be preserved and celebrated among us.

S. ATHANAS. de Meditat.

Let the sun when it riseth see the Psalter or thy Prayer-book in thine hands.

S. BASIL. Reg. fus. tract. Int. 37. RUP. de Divin. Off. cap. 2.

Before we do any thing else, be we careful to consecrate the first-fruits of the day, and the very beginnings of our holy thoughts, unto the service of God.

IDEM, ibid.

Let not the day when it cometh find us sleeping in our beds, but awaken, and up, and ready at our prayers, according to his custom, whose eyes prevented the night watches, &c. Ps. cxix.

IDEM, Epist. 63.

It is the common custom and unanimous consent of all our Churches, to be up early in the morning; and when, with earnest and devout tears, they have made confession of their sins unto Almighty God, at length with hymns and psalms to praise him for his mercies.

IDEM, in Epist. I. ad NAZIANZ.

What greater bliss and happiness can there be, than thus on earth to imitate the angels that are in heaven, every morning to honour and worship Him that made us all?

S. CHRYSOST. de orando Deum, lib. I. It behoveth us therefore to rise before the sun be up, and so to order our time, that the course of our prayers may equal and answer the course of the day. For tell me, with what face can we behold the sun, unless we worship Him first that hath made so glorious a light for us?

S. AMBROS. in Examer. lib. 5. cap. 12.

Who blusheth not to hear the birds every morning, how sweetly and solemnly they sing out their praises unto God, and is so dull himself as not to do the like?

IDEM, de Virg. lib. 3.

The Lord's Prayer, and the Apostles' Creed, which do seal up our hearts unto the service and love of God, are daily to be repeated every morning.

S. HIERON. ad LAETAM.

Let there be one of good life and sound